This invention relates generally to gaming and more particularly to gaming tables and systems with sensors which automatically identify when a wager has been placed.
Gaming throughout the United States has spread because of people""s interest in, and the entertainment provided by, the games being played.
For a variety of gaming operations, such as black jack, Poker, Roulette, Pai Gow, Baccarat, O Craps, Crapjack and other games, there is a need to identify the placement of a bet. If metallic coins are used, their presence on a betting location can be ascertained through the use of magnetic sensors or the like; but, the vast majority of gaming institutions use chips which do not contain any metallic elements, or not enough metallic elements, to be sensed by this technique.
Without the ability to automatically determine if a bet has been placed, the automation of almost any wagering operation is frustrated and still requires the use of an extraordinary amount of time from the human dealer.
It is clear that there is a significant need for providing automatic process to facilitate the games themselves.
The present invention provides for a playing table which identifies when a wager has been placed on an appointed location. The sensor, mounted onto the underside of the gaming table, monitors the mass above it; when this mass is changed (indicating the placement of a wager), then the sensor communicates a signal to a computer.
The sensor of this invention uses a change in capacitive loading of plates to identify this change in mass. One such apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,128, issued to Heger on Apr. 8, 1997, and entitled, xe2x80x9cStud Sensor with Over-Stud Miscalibration via Circuit Which Stores an Initial Calibration Density, Compares that to a Current Test Density and Outputs Result via Indicatorxe2x80x9d, incorporated hereinto by reference.
The computer uses the signal from the sensor to determine if a wager has been placed in the designated betting position for each player. In the preferred embodiment, each table has an operator/dealer station which includes a display of the status of the wagers and the payoff amounts.
Further, in embodiments of the invention, the operator/dealer station includes an input apparatus allowing the operator/dealer to notify the table computer of the xe2x80x9cstart-of-gamexe2x80x9d (thereby not allowing best to be placed) and xe2x80x9cend-of-gamexe2x80x9d (after the prior game""s winnings have been paid and when new wagers will be accepted).
In some applications, the gaming table is too thick to permit the retrofitting of the sensor and still obtain the desired sensor sensitivity. In this case, recesses in the underside of the gaming table allow the sensor to be moved closer to the top of the table to obtain the sensitivity sought.
Note though that the top of the table is left undisturbed as the sensor never extends above the top of the table.
In some embodiments of the invention, a light is positioned proximate to the wager location allowing the computer to xe2x80x9cnotifyxe2x80x9d the player that the wager has been accepted and logged into the game.
Some embodiments of the invention obtain a sensitivity which allows the sensor to determine how many chips have been placed into the wager location. The number of chips determines a state for the sensor which is also communicated to the computer. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when multiple chips are allowed to be bet on the game.
More specifically, the presence sensor of this invention is able to detect a chip, token, coin, marker or any object used in any form of gambling, game playing or wagering. The sensor detects the presence of the object when the object is placed on the playing surface (i.e. table, board, or any other form of gaming device).
The sensor generates a signal via wired connection, optical coupling, or radio frequency which is used to identify if the object is present or not. The preferred method of identifying a present/not-present state is through the signal strength being transmitted.
Using the sensor of U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,128, as described above (and commercially available from the Zircom Corporation), the indication varies according to the size and proximity and molecular density of said object.
Ideally, the microprocessor on the gaming sensor itself communicates via a serial data link to the main controller. This serial data link consists of an RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, optical link, or radio frequency data.
The ideal arrangement is where a multitude of sensors are utilized. In this context, the serial data link is a shared link amongst all sensors. Each sensor has a unique identification number. This enables the main controller to address any individual sensor in the group or the group as a whole.
In the preferred embodiment, the main controller is equipped with a variety of instructions which are employable by the controlling software. These instructions include, but are not limited to: all units reset; all units light on; all units light off; all units sensor on; all units sensor off; addressed unit reset; addressed unit light on; addressed unit light off; addressed unit sensor on; addressed unit sensor off; and addressed unit send sensor data.
In the preferred embodiment, the commands that are addressed by all units are carried out by the individual sensors with no acknowledgment back to the main controller. All addressed unit commands have a reply sent back to the main controller that depicts the status of the given command and its completion.
The microprocessor within the sensor receives commands and executes them. These commands consist of controlling either the sensor chip or indicator light (located on the top of the playing table).
The indicator light is a light that is attached to, the playing surface that is used to signal the player when an object placed in the active sensing area of the playing surface and which has been recognized by the central processor. This light can be any distance from the active area and is controlled by the microprocessor within the sensor in response to commands from the main controller.
In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor chip is powered on/off by the sensor""s microprocessor. Through power control sequencing, the sensor""s range and capacity is placed in either a low power or high power sensing mode. This change also re-calibrates the sensor to the thickness of the playing surface.
When activated in either the high or low power sensing modes the sensor chip puts out digital signals on 8 pins that indicate the level of the mass of the object it is sensing or any error condition that exists. These 8 signal pins on the sensor chip are connected to an 8 bit input port on the microprocessor. The microprocessor analyzes the digital level the signals coming from the sensor chip. This analysis allows the microprocessor to then determine the presence or lack thereof of any object in on the playing surface or any error that is occurring. This data is converted and sent to the main controller via the serial communication channel.
The invention, together with various embodiments thereof, will be more fully explained by the accompanying drawings and the following description thereof.